SAN JOSE, Calif. -
After scoring the go-ahead goal, Clarence Goodson kept his run going at Stanford Stadium Saturday night.
He hurdled the “They hate the way you celebrate” adidas slogan on the electronic signage board, headed for the nearest corner of the grandstands and joined the crowd in celebration. His teammates soon joined him.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Quakes vs. Galaxy
And just like that, the California Clasico was elevated too. The Quakes’ come-from-behind 3-1 win over the LA Galaxy had become a feel-Goodson story in front of 50,422.
“Good for Clarence,” Earthquakes coach Dominic Kinnear said of the center back’s first goal as an Earthquake. “Congratulations to him. Not only his goal, but I think he’s been playing really well for us.”
The big soccer party also had a magician.
Argentine Matias Perez Garcia brought the sleight of foot, assisting Goodson and Chris Wondolowski and nearly assisting two or three other goals. MPG played with a great spirit and quality as the Quakes gradually rested control of the contest.
Mix in a clincher by versatile Cordell Cato off a Shea Salinas assist, a sensory-smashing postgame fireworks display and a bump on the Western Conference standings, and the Quakes couldn’t have asked for much more.
"It's a great win, especially against a rival,” Wondolowski said. “Any time you can get three points, it’s nice, especially at home. Right now we are playing well, playing tough and playing with a good attitude and that goes a long way.”
Indeed, San Jose (7-5-4, 25 points) improved to 4-1-4 in their last nine matches and 4-1-2 overall at home this season.
The match marked the fourth consecutive turnout of at least 50,000 for a Quakes-Galaxy game at the venue, and the Quakes are 3-1 over the stretch, rallying for all three wins.
On his goal in the 53rd minute, Goodson made a near-post run on a Perez Garcia corner kick, losing his marker Baggio Husidic and hitting the target from just inside the six-yard line.
"Great ball by Matias,” Goodson said. “Lately, he has been putting the ball in some excellent spots. I gained a step on my runner. I got to the corner, made good contact and next thing you we are up a goal.”
Perez Garcia’s production has been booming. The Designated Player also scored a brilliant goal in a 2-0 road win over Seattle on June 20 – the AT&T MLS Goal of the Week in Week 16. He has six assists and a goal over his past seven MLS matches, and also tallied his fourth game-winning assist this season, tops in MLS.
“I think our chemistry is definitely growing,” Wondolowski said of Perez Garcia. “He's such a skilled and smart player that it makes my job a lot easier."
Goodson thought the Quakes’ toughness was a key factor against the league’s most dangerous attack led by Robbie Keane. The Galaxy had amassed 16 goals in its previous three games, blasting the Philadelphia Union 5-1, Portland Timbers 5-0 and blitzing PSA Elite 6-1 in the U.S. Open Cup.
“I think we were a bit nasty tonight; played with an attitude,” Goodson said. “We were making it difficult for them. You could see we got up to their defensive backs a little bit, and they didn’t like that too much. They have been on fire offensively, so to get this result is great -- especially for our fans here tonight.”
In the first minute, San Jose nearly scored on a Perez Garcia a corner kick. The ball clanked off Husidic, and Wondolowski attempted to volley it past Galaxy keeper Jaime Penedo, but his shot was blocked.
The Galaxy broke the scoreless tie on a 30-yard blast by Juninho into the corner in the 19th minute, after a loose ball rolled to him. Quakes keeper David Bingham lunged to his left, but couldn’t get enough on it to keep it out.
San Jose tied it 1-1 in the 28th minute as Perez Garcia lost his defender with some nifty footwork near the edge of the penalty area. He played a ball across to Wondolowski, who volleyed a shot past Penedo with authority.
It marked Wondolowski’s Western Conference-leading ninth goal of the season, 98th as an Earthquake and the 102nd of his career.
“It’s a great finish, it’s nice to see him come from late and finish off plays like he normally does,” Kinnear said. “On the other side, I thought his passing in the second half was better. He made some real good decisions. So when we won the ball, our first pass out of pressure was either to him or to Matias, and it got us up the field.”
Cato’s goal was also a beauty in the 72nd minute. He took a pass from Salinas in the box, dribbled by Dan Gargan and hit a low, left-footed shot past Peneda. The large crowd erupted. It was Cato’s first goal since Sept. 7, 2014.
"It was just about effort, me making the run to get at the end of the play,” Cato said. “Shea did well to cut inside and I just made myself available and lucky enough I was able to finish it."
The Quakes dominated the final 18 minutes of the match, knocking the ball around efficiently against the seemingly leg-weary Galaxy, perhaps a bit softened from a midweek game. The teams will meet again on July 1 at Avaya Stadium in the U.S. Open Cup.
Was this a statement game?
"It's a statement from us that we can come up against the best,” Cato said. “They're defending champions, and we are going to continue with this mentality and this attitude throughout the rest of the season."
Not surprisingly, Kinnear told the team before the game to keep an eye on Keane, the 2014 Volkswagen MLS MVP.
"The guy's a clever player, he finds good gaps,” Kinnear said of Keane. “I thought Fatai (Alashe) did a good job of kind of sitting in front and shielding the back four. But I'll give credit to Clarence and Victor (Bernardez). I think the last two games they’ve been very, very good for us."
